Darian Hagan will get an opportunity to put on his coaching hat again.

Hagan, one of Colorado’s all-time greats as a Buffs quarterback from 1988-91, will serve as running backs coach this summer for Team USA in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship.

Teams from seven nations will vie for the trophy July 9-18 in Canton, Ohio. The U.S. team is largely comprised of recent college graduates. Professional players are not eligible.

Former Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will serve as head coach of the U.S. team. Cody Hawkins, son of the head coach and a four-year starting quarterback at CU, will coach the QBs. Cody Hawkins played in the 2011 IFAF World Championship.

Hagan has been out of coaching since 2010, when was he was running backs coach on Hawkins’ staff. Hawkins’ successor, Jon Embree, kept Hagan on as director of player personnel. Hagan has been director of player development under current CU coach Mike MacIntyre.

Cretin-Derham Hall’s Joe Rosga drives to the basket against Bettendorf’s (Iowa) Nicholas Baer in the second half of their matchup as Bettendorf won 71-66 in the 2014 Minnesota Timberwolves Shootout at Target Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014. (Scott Takushi, Pioneer Press)

Joe Rosga, a 6-foot-3 senior guard at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minn., thought he was headed to play basketball at Army.

Now, Rosga will be a University of Denver Pioneer. DU announced Monday that he signed a national letter of intent with the school.

Rosga had committed to Army but it was discovered last month that an undisclosed medical issue will prevent him from being accepted into West Point. Rosga reopened his recruitment on April 20.

According to his mother, Rosga is fully cleared to play basketball. He earned second-team all-Minnesota honors by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer-Press this spring after averaging 19.1 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds.

First-year Colorado State coach Mike Bobo went back to his native Southeast to get a quarterback for the 2016 recruiting cycle, landing an oral commitment from Collin Hill of Dorman High School in Roebuck, S.C.

Hill, 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, confirmed his commitment via Twitter. He is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He chose Colorado State over Marshall.

Bobo had scouted Hill when Bobo was offensive coordinator at Georgia. Hill passed for 2,318 yards and 23 touchdown last fall as a junior.

Greg Ploetz completed this painting in 2010, when he already was suffering dementia symptoms.

My story on the death of Colorado Springs-raised Greg Ploetz, 66, a former defensive tackle at Texas, is here.

I met Greg and his wife Deb during book research and have followed his sad saga in recent years, when he battled dementia and frontal brain lobe damage and spent several months in Colorado last year so marijuana products could be used in his treatment. As noted in the story, his brain has been donated to Boston University, and my assumption is examination will show he suffered from widespread CTE.

Here’s another update: Billy Dale, a halfback in Ploetz’s era, is the head of the Longhorn Support Group, which has been there for Deb Ploetz recently. Dale has been gathering autographs of former Longhorns who played for Darrell Royal around the football painting Greg finished in 2010, when he already was suffering from dementia.

The plan has been to auction the painting at an event later this year for the Darrell K. Royal Fund for Alzheimer’s Research. Dale this week said he hasn’t decided to stick with that plan or wait another year to try to reach the goal of 500 signatures. He said that the confirmed signature count now is 229 and when the latest autograph strips come back, he expects to be at about 270.

Austin Dewing (3) of Air Academy Kadets fouls Justinian Jessup (10) of Longmont Trojans to foul out during the fourth quarter of the boys 4A state championship game. The Colorado State High School Basketball Championships at the University of Colorado on March 14, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Longmont High’s Justinian Jessup, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who averaged 17 points this past season as a junior, told a recruiting-based website that he has received an offer from Colorado.

Jessup told BuffStampede.com, an affiliate of Rivals.com, that CU coach Tad Boyle wants Jessup, a left-hander, to either be a walk-on for his first season in Boulder or push back his college enrollment by attending a prep school for a year following his high school graduation.

Colorado already has oral commitments from two guards for the 2015-16 recruiting cycle and, as of now, the Buffs do not have another scholarship to offer to Jessup for that class.

Named the Class 4A player of the year as a junior, Jessup told BuffStampede.com that he is open to Boyle’s request. Jessup’s best offer other than Colorado is from Boise State. Weber State and Northern Colorado also have offered scholarships to Jessup.

Jessup’s recruiting could pick up. He said he is hearing from Davidson.

Notwithstanding lightning, a tornado or other dangerous situations Mother Nature can produce, the NCAA Tournament lacrosse game between Brown and the University of Denver will take place Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium (ESPNU).

The Denver-area forecast is gloomy, with 3-6 inches of snow expected Saturday night through Sunday morning, with high temperatures in the 30s. Barton’s field will be wet, but it’s artificial turf with state-of-the-art draining. The cold temps and visibility issues could be the real problems and give the Bears (12-4) a better chance at upsetting the Pioneers (13-2), who are my pick to reach the May 25 national championship game in Philadelphia.

Sunday’s paper and online will have a story looking at why Denver — which is on a nine-game winning streak and in full-fledged beast mode since losing at Ohio State on March 14 — will advance to its first national title game. But I reported and wrote the story based on average playing conditions, and certainly, Sunday’s game might be determined by which team better handles the inclement weather.

The winner faces Duke or Ohio State next Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, host of the two quarterfinal games. The Blue Devils and Buckeyes play at 5:30 p.m. MT Saturday.

Denver is simply a team that won’t lose by playing its game. The Pioneers have the country’s best faceoff guy in freshman Trevor Baptiste and an extremely talented and patient offense, led by the school’s all-time leading scorer (senior Wes Berg) and the single-season scoring leader (sophomore Connor Cannizzaro). If those two struggle, sophomores Zach Miller and Tyler Pace, junior Jack Bobzien and senior Erik Adamson are each capable of being the go-to guys. As I wrote in Sunday’s story, Baptiste is the best faceoff man legendary coach Bill Tierney has ever coached and the offense is Tierney’s best in six years at Denver. Senior goalie Ryan LaPlante is DU’s all-time leader in wins and saves, and Christian Burgdorf, Carson Cannon and Pat Karole are special defensemen. I’m telling you, this is the Pioneers’ year.

DU will roll over Brown if it contains Bears’ standout Dylan Molloy, a sophomore attackman who has 59 goals and leads the country in goals-per-game (3.69). Molloy was a unanimous first team All-Ivy League selection along with junior goalie Jack Kelly.

“He is big, strong and would just-as-soon run you over as running around you,” Tierney said of Molloy. “He’s a slick player. He’s got power, he can shoot it and has become a really good feeder.”

Brown is not a possession team. The Bears like to play fast. “We have to stop their transition game, their quick-strike offense,” Tierney said. “There’s no going to be many long possessions on their part. They shove it down your throat, basically. They want to have a volume of shots and a fast-paced game. They want it to be at break-neck speed. Part of their transition is, they have a great goalie.”

DU plays the opposite. The Pioneers want to dominate possession, and with Baptiste and the offense that doesn’t turn it over much, they usually do just that. “We want to take the best shot, not the first shot,” Tierney said.

University of Colorado senior skier Brooke Wales Granstrom learned Thursday that she has received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship effective following her graduation in December.

A native of Sammamish, Wash., Granstrom holds a grade-point average of 3.975 while majoring in integrative physiology. A two-time All-American on the slopes, Granstrom helped the Buffaloes earn two NCAA championships.

She intends to pursue graduate work leading to certification as a physician’s assistant.

Denver Wesley Berg (14) looks for an open teammate during the fourth quarter Friday, April 3, 2015 at Peter Barton Stadium on the campus of University of Denver in Denver. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

Denver Pioneers attackman Wesley Berg has been named one of the five finalists for the Tewaaraton Award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse player, the school announced Thursday.

The other finalists include Duke’s Myles Jones, Notre Dame’s Matt Kavanagh, Syarcuse’s Kevin Rice and Albany’s Lyle Thompson. Berg is the first Pioneer to be selected as a finalist.

“Wesley Berg is the epitome of the type of student-athlete we have been blessed with here at the University of Denver,” Denver coach Bill Tierney said in a release from the school.

Berg has tallied 43 goals and 17 assists this season, leading the Pioneers to a 13-2 record going into the NCAA Tournament. Denver will face Brown in the first round at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Ariana Freeman is transferring to the University of Colorado women’s basketball team from Louisville, CU announced Thursday.

The 5-foot-9 freshman guard averaged 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 19 games for the Cardinals last season. Her parents, Desmond and Veronique, are both CU alums. Desmond was a tight end for the Buffaloes from 1994-97.

“It feels good knowing that I will be going somewhere surrounded with support from my family and loved ones,” Freeman said. “Colorado has a great coaching staff along with great players; I’m excited for a fresh start and to once again be a Buff.

Formally called the Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee, the grant will be used by Newton at the University of Texas. She has been accepted by UT to purse a graduate degree in higher education leadership.

“This is an incredible honor for an incredible young lady,” CSU coach Ryun Williams said in a news release from the school. “AJ is the epitome of a Colorado State student-athlete and we are very proud of her.”

In other news concerning the CSU women’s basketball team, Williams announced that Hanne Mestdagh and Victoria Wells have elected to graduate in May and will forgo their final year of eligibility.

Adams State senior Tabor Stevens runs in the NCAA D-II cross country championship on Dec. 6, 2014 in Louisville, Ky. Stevens captured his second straight individual title with a time of 30:02. (Provided by Adams State University)

Adams State senior Tabor Stevens made history on Friday when he ran the fastest mile recorded on Colorado soil with a time of 4 minutes, 1.27 seconds at the La Junta Relays in La Junta.

“My pacers set me up to finish well. I’m happy to get this record. It is something I have wanted to do for a couple years and I think it was quite a spectacle for the high school athletes which is something that is good for the sport.” Stevens said in a release from Adams State.

The annual La Junta Relays featured 31 high school teams from throughout southern Colorado and featured an elite open mile for runners in college and beyond. The elevation for the city of La Junta is 4,078 feet.

FORT COLLINS — Colorado State Friday announced that 6-foot-4 guard C.J. Keyser, a senior at Sunrise Christian Academy in suburban Wichita, had signed a letter of intent to join the Rams’ program as a freshman in 2015-16.

The expected announcement came on the third day of the national letter of intent signing period.

Keyser is from Bel Air, Md., and began his prep career at Patterson Mill High School in Maryland.

At Sunrise Christian, Keyser was a teammate of another CSU recuit, 6-10 forward Nick Cavarcho.

CSU coach Larry Eustachy said that Keyser “is an elite athlete with tremendous size at the guard position. He is has a good skill level and has a chance to be an elite defender.”

On his initial impressions: “I think what I learned through the process when I was being considered for the job up until I received the office, everything that I learned through that process has been validated since I’ve been here. There haven’t been any surprises, and I don’t think there were any efforts not to be fully transparent. So I feel like I was going in with eyes wide open, and I feel like everything I knew before I arrived has been validated. It’s a special place, I’m learning that every day, and enjoying it too.”

On whether, given his stints at three Big 12 schools, he has been given a mandate to get CSU into the Big 12:

The field day will give students the chance to compete with football players in various skill competitions and yard games, and it will include a garage sale of surplus items from CU’s equipment room.

The event starts at 3:30 p.m., with coach Mike MacIntyre scheduled to unveil the new uniforms at 4:30 p.m.

The Buffs have rarely strayed from their usual gold-helmet-black-jersey look over the last decade, although they have been known to slip in a sleek all-black look every now and then and an occasional throwback.

As we await to see what the 2015 unis, here’s look at some of the past variations — some drastic, many subtle — to CU’s look over the years:

My story on Kevin Davis and Deonte Clyburn as the heirs apparent to departed CSU linebackers Max Morgan and Aaron Davis is here.

I wrote it off a visit to the Rams’ Tuesday practice, and I’ll make more trips next week after the Avalanche season is over and as CSU finishes up spring practice with three workouts during the week and then the Green and Gold Game April 18 at Hughes Stadium.

Davis’ background, as you know if you’ve read the story, is unique and interesting.

Kevin Davis (CSU photo)

In the story, Davis mentioned giving up hockey after playing it since his youth in Germany and starring for two seasons for the Cheyenne Mountain High School team as a sophomore and junior in the Colorado Springs area. This part of this answer didn’t make the story: “Maybe if I would have played triple-A (youth top level) or something like that, it would have been different.” Read more…

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Last week in Calgary, former Boston College star Johnny Gaudreau and former University of Denver standout Joe Colborne made a bet between Flames teammates. Gaudreau, the 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner who had three goals and six points in BC’s 6-2 win over DU in last year’s NCAA Tournament, took his Eagles.

DU coach Jim Montgomery, who coached Gaudreau in juniors, is excited to see Johnny Hockey in a crimson and gold sweater with “DENVER” across the chest.

“Because of a real good Pios alum, ‘Jumbo’ Joe Colborne, I can’t wait to watch a former player that I coached, John Gaudreau — Johnny Hockey — wear a Pioneer jersey, as he lost his bet,” Montgomery said while opening his postgame press conference.

Colorado safety Jered Bell, who was sidelined with separate ACL tears his sophomore year and last season as a fifth-year senior, has been granted a rare sixth year of eligibility to compete for the Buffs this fall, he tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

Morgan Pearson crosses the finish line during the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 23, 2013. Pearson finished fifth in the men’s 3K indoors on Saturday at the NCAA championships. (Aaron P. Bernstein, Special to The Denver Post)

Colorado’s Morgan Pearson earned first team All-America honors with a fifth place finish in the men’s 3,000 meter run on Saturday at the NCAA Indoor National Championships, a performance that redeemed a 14th place finish in the men’s 5K on Friday during a race in which he turned his ankle.

That was the highest finish of any Colorado collegiate athlete competing at NCAAs.

“Of course we were disappointed yesterday,” head coach Mark Wetmore said in a statement of Pearson. “He make some tactical mistakes, but he also stepped on the rail in the middle of the race and turned his ankle enough to upset him and get him off his game and bother him. I wasn’t sure he would be able to run … but he never mentioned not running. He iced it a lot overnight and went into this race with a different strategy and got a much better outcome. [The] race was the race we knew he had in him. I think he feels pretty good about it and so do I.”

My Monday commentary is from the Colorado spring game (stats below), focusing on the improvement in football and athletic facilities in evidence in and around Folsom Field, and on senior receiver Nelson Spruce’s perspective on spring ball and his imminent final season.

Chatting with Spruce, who is from Westlake Village, Calif., I mentioned that I found it remarkable that he and Colorado State’s Rashard Higgins both were playing in the same state and for a time last season were the national leaders in touchdown receptions. Higgins ended up with 17, Spruce 12. Higgins, a consensus All-America as a sophomore, had 96 catches for 1,750 yards, while Spruce finished with 106 receptions for 1,198 yards.

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.